Odisha Train Accident: FIR Lodged for Negligence, Endangering Lives; CBI to Probe

Balasore: The Odisha police has registered a case involving charges of “causing death by negligence and endangering life” in the tragic Balasore train accident, which resulted in the loss of 275 lives. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is set to take over the investigation in the near future.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the specific culpability of railway employees has not yet been determined and will be revealed during the course of the investigation.

Following the incident, the Indian Railways has requested a CBI inquiry into the accident, raising concerns about possible tampering with the electronic interlocking system, which is responsible for detecting train presence.

Unfortunately, the “Kavach” automatic train protection system, developed indigenously, was not implemented on the route where the accident occurred. However, a railway official has stated that even if the system had been in place, it would not have been able to prevent this particular accident.

Sources within the CBI have confirmed that a team will be dispatched to the accident site tomorrow to take over the case from the Railway Police in Cuttack. The CBI will collaborate with the Commission of Railway Safety during the investigation.

The death toll from the three-train collision has been revised by the Odisha government from 288 to 275, as it was discovered that some bodies had been counted twice initially.

The local administration is currently faced with the challenge of managing 187 unidentified bodies until they can be claimed by the families of the victims.